Rukia's Never Ending Pain
by fanfic-freedomwrite
Summary: I got this idea after reading Seducing Byakuya Kuchiki and The Small Print (both stories are from psychegloom). Not a very good summary, but give it a try and me sure to let me know what you think :)
1. Chapter 1

_September 10_

Once Rukia got back from the mission to Hueco Mundo, she went to her room to take a bath and lie down. Byakuya having sensed that she was back went to go see how the mission went to share with her something that has been bothering him. When he got to her room, she had sensed him out there and opened her door.

"Brother, come in."

"Rukia, how was the trip? I hope you were safe."

"There was nothing there, for four months we looked everywhere and couldn't find anything to report. I do have to go see captain Unohana as soon as I am done here, while we were there I started to feel bad and I was getting sick a lot. I just want to make sure everything is fine."

"Rukia, there is something that has been bothering me and I want you to know. After we mated, I could not stop thinking about you. I know I said you are free but I do not want to see you go. I want to stay by you. In addition, the women's club asked me to give you a message; they opened a small hotel spa and put you in charge of running it. It's not to far from here actually and so I will be stopping by to see how you are managing with your new job."

Once he finished confessing his feelings to her, he got up and left and she went to go get a checkup from squad four. Captain Unohana told her that it was the baby causing her to get sick and that her stress levels are extremely high and could put her life at risk. Once she was done with her checkup, she went to her new job to see Momo and a couple of girls that she has not seen at all.

"Hi Momo, what am I supposed to do here."

"You're in charge of all of us. It was decided that the workers such as myself would not carry our swords here because it is supposed to be a peaceful place. But since you're in charge and have to look out for the wellbeing of all the workers, you get to carry yours around in case something happens." Momo said.

"Momo, if anything does happen, I need you to get the girls out and get to my brother. Once you get to him, tell him the prince is in danger and that I need his help. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded then returned to work, Rukia walked around and noticed a strange presence nearby. When she went to check it out she found a masked man drawing his sword in prepare for a fight. Momo felt it too and went to go see what was going on, when she turned the corner she saw Rukia getting ready to battle this man. She remembered what she had promised Rukia, got everyone out of the building, and went to deliver the message to Byakuya.

Back at the spa, the masked man was swinging his sword all over the place trying to hit Rukia in a vital spot that would kill her with one blow. She continued to ask who he was but got no response. She felt a strong pain in her back and lost focus for a moment long enough for the masked man to hit her in the chest. She used all her strength to free her from his sword to get some space in between them, but collapsed near the door to the building. Before she blacked out, she saw her brother appear and took down the man in an instant.

Once Byakuya gathered her up in his arms, he noticed the wound to her chest and instantly took her to see squad four. Captain Unohana told Byakuya that her life was in danger because the stress is causing to much strain on her body.

"Has she told you about the stress?" Byakuya asked

"You mean she hasn't told you yet, that explains part of her stress"

"Told me what?"

"You have an heir; Rukia conceived and told me to keep it a secret until she knew how to tell you. She said that you would be trying for Captain Soi Fon and she did not want to take your chance at happiness away. She wanted to be with you but she said that you did not feel that way about her so she ran from it all. She said she would figure it out and that she needed to get away for a while, that is why she went on the mission. When she came back today, I did a checkup, everything was fine except for her stress levels, and she said that she had been getting sick."

"I see, thank you for telling me all this."

Unohana nodded then continued to work on Rukia's chest. Her wound was not serious and healed in a matter of minutes. Unohana bowed to Byakuya and left the room to wait for news that she has regained consciousness. As Byakuya sat by her side, he looked down at her to see that her face was peaceful and calm looking. She was not having any nightmares; he held her hand and wondered how he could have missed her being unhappy. She felt his presence and opened her eyes to see him still holding her hand. As she looked around, she noticed that she was in squad four's barracks.

"Why didn't you come to me Rukia?"

"You know then, about everything."

"I want you to tell me, I want to hear this from you."

"All right, first off you should know that I'm pregnant. I loved mating with you, you have stopped the nightmare, you have stood by me in every way that you can. You make me feel alive and I did not want that to end, that is why when you talked to me and I heard that you wanted to go after another woman I left. I could not bear to face you knowing that you would be happy without me in your life. I want to be with you, by your side. That is why when you came to me earlier today I was so happy to hear that you wanted me. I went to go get the checkup to tell you later in the day everything that I am telling you now. I felt abandoned and alone and it was getting to be unbearable. But now that you know everything now, I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders and I know that I'm not alone."

"I'm glad you feel that way, and that you feel better just from telling me. I will say it again; I want to be with you also. Would you do me the honor of taking the throne as queen with me?"

"Yes, I would be honored to be your wife. Thank you for the opportunity. Should we tell people?"

"I do not think that would be wise, if the wrong person heard the news, you would be targeted again."

"Captain Kuchiki, there is a captains meeting that we have to attend. I'm glad to see you are awake Rukia, I will send in my lieutenant to review your status." Unohana said stepping into the room.

"I'll be back as soon as the meeting is over; I won't leave your side after the meeting. There is much we need to talk about." Byakuya said.

After the two captains left the room, Rukia laid there wondering when Isane would be coming in to see her. While she was waiting, she noticed that there was a sudden sense of pain in her back so she rolled onto her side to keep pressure on it. When Isane came into the room, she noticed that Rukia was in discomfort and went to see what was wrong.

"What's wrong Rukia?"

"My back hurts and I'm tired, but other than that I'm feeling a lot better."

"Let me check you out, Unohana wanted me to check your stress levels and to see how the baby is doing. Once I'm finished with the exam, I'll get you some pain medicine and something to help you sleep."

As Rukia lay there, she watched her stomach turn pink and white. She watched Isane's face to see what was going on. She noticed that Isane was very calm and never showing any emotion on her face.

"May I ask what you have been doing to relieve your stress?"

"I told Byakuya how I really felt, that's all. Why?"

"You have no stress in your body, and the baby is happy. The pain in your back is simply because the baby is learning to kick. You still have four and a half months before we can expect to see what the baby will look like. Are you sure you don't want to know the sex?"

"I'm sure."

As soon as she got up to go get some medicine, the captains returned.

"How is she Isane?" Unohana asked.

"She is in some pain and she's very tired. All her levels are normal, there is no stress in her body and the baby is doing just fine. I'm on my way to get her some medicine to help with the pain and to help her sleep."

After Isane left Byakuya went back into the room to see Rukia holding her back. It pained him to see her in pain and so he went over to her and began to massage her back. She winced when he touched certain points on her back, but it felt good and relieved some of the pain. While she was lying there getting a massage, Isane came back in with some medicine.

"Rukia, this medicine will help with the pain and allow you to sleep. However, when you fall asleep, you will be asleep for at least a whole day. Therefore, the next time you try to move, you will need help. Captain Kuchiki, would you like a pillow and a blanket so you could get some rest too?"

"That would be fine."

As Isane put the medicine down in front of Rukia, she moved to the closet across the room to get some blankets and a pillow. When she returned Rukia had taken the medicine. She put down the supplies and grabbed the cup the medicine was in and left the room. Byakuya was still rubbing her back and noticed that her eyes were getting heavy. As he situated himself, he lay down beside her and she cuddled into him making sure to take in his smell of cherry blossoms. Throughout the night, he would wake up to see if she was having nightmares and not once did she show any signs of it. It was true; he cured her of the nightmares that have plagued her sleep for over fifty years. After checking on her a couple of times, he finally fell to sleep. After about eight hours of sleeping, he noticed that Rukia was beginning to have a nightmare, trembling in her sleep. Rukia's eyes flew open as she screamed. She noticed that Byakuya had a hold of her and that everything seemed fine.

"What's wrong Rukia, did you have another nightmare?"

"The world of the living is changing, something is not right. You have to go check it out, the atmosphere is unstable."

"Everything is fine, nothing has happened to the world of the living."

"Can we go home?"

"Yes, lean on me while you walk. You have been asleep for a long time and might have trouble walking because of this."

When she got up, it was true, her muscles where all locked up and it was hard for her to move. When the left squad four's barracks, they noticed that everyone was staring at them and some people even was congratulating them on the news of the baby and marriage. As they were walking, she started feeling dizzy and could not focus on walking straight. She pulled away from Byakuya and went to go take a seat against the wall. Byakuya followed her and dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Are you in pain?"

"I'm just really dizzy, something doesn't feel right."

It was then that she had a vision of the world of the living. She saw menos grande everywhere, there had to be at least thirty of them walking around. She gasps when she saw the destruction that was going on.

"What's wrong Rukia; I can't help you if you won't tell me."

"All the available captains and soul reapers are heading off to battle with the menos. They have taken over the world of the living, you have to go help."

He could not believe what he was hearing and looked up to see everyone heading to the world of the living. They all had a hell butterfly granting them passage, but there was no butterfly for him to go off to battle.

"I'm needed here, I'll carry you the rest of the way. Do not worry; I am sure everything is going to be fine. Almost all the captains are going so it will be over before you know it."

While he was carrying her, he noticed that she had fallen asleep again but was trembling. He wondered how she could tell what was going on with the world of the living without being anywhere near there. When they got to the Kuchiki manor, he carried her straight to his room and laid her down. He held her hand and saw what she was seeing in her sleep. He saw the world of the living and the captains taking down all the menos that where in sight. He saw Ichigo dead and that Urahara was badly wounded from battling the menos and probably would die from his injuries. He then looked down at Rukia who is somehow attached to the world of the living and was suffering. She screamed and woke up finding that they were back home in his room. Byakuya felt the spiritual pressure of head captain and opened his door to see him standing outside.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but there have been some developments from the world of the living."

"Is this about the menos and Ichigo's death? I can see it all, I don't want to hear about it so if you will excuse me." Rukia said trying to stand up but was not having any luck.

"I know you know all about this, as fate would have it, you are the savior for the world of the living. You have stayed there to long and your spiritual power is merging with the world. I have sent some people to sever the connection to free you from this burden."

"When will the connection be lost?" Byakuya asked.

"Anytime now, Rukia, as it appears the rumors are true and you are promised with Byakuya. You need to stay here and give birth to this baby and then grow stronger before you take the throne with him. When the time is right, your strength as a women will keep you from accomplishing much. Yoruichi is coming back to the soul society to be a bodyguard for Rukia, if anything happens to Rukia all hope is lost. That is all I have to say."

"I'll try my best and thank you for cutting the connection. It was to much to handle for me at my current level." Rukia said.

As soon as he left, Yoruichi came into the room. She sat down on the other side of the room watching them. Byakuya went to the foot of his bed to work on some paperwork while, Rukia just sat there watching him. She felt her zanpakuto calling to her and started to meditate with it to see what Sode no Shirayuki had to say. Byakuya wondered why she was talking with her zanpakuto and knew that it had to be important for her and left her alone. In Rukia's mind Sode no Shirayuki was standing there watching Rukia.

"Why have you called me?"

"It is time for you to achieve bankai. Bankai is achieved by three different ways for a person. The first is that it will just happen on its own. The second is that you have to train hard to achieve it. In addition, the third way is the way in which you need to achieve bankai, through a make it or break it deal. You must put your life on the line and find the will to live and through that, your bankai will activate. However, if you cannot find the will then you will lose your life. If you chose to accept this then beware, once you activate your bankai, you will pass out soon after. Since you are pregnant and not at full strength, your body will collapse on itself. I'll be waiting for an answer, I'll need one by the end of the day or you will have to wait for another fifty years before this chance will come up again."

Rukia opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Yoruichi napping against the wall and Byakuya looking at some papers. She got up, threw her sword down scaring Yoruichi, and walked outside.

"I wonder what that was about." Yoruichi said.

Byakuya did not say anything; he got up and put her sword on the bed then went to go see what was wrong. When he found her, she had her feet dangling in the pond watching the fish tickle her feet. He sat down beside her and waited for her say what was wrong.

"Why are the choices in my life always affecting my life?"

"What did she say to you?"

"She told me I could achieve bankai now or in another fifty years."

"By which of the three ways would you achieve it?"

"Life or death, I don't see how that can be an option right now. I want to achieve it but not at the cost of my life. Moreover, it is not just my life, there is the baby and you, and if I could not find the will to live, I would die and leave everything behind. If I did find the will to live then I could still be with you and have this baby, but she warned me. In my weaken state, soon after I achieve it my body would collapse because all my energy is going to the baby. She is giving me till the end of the day to make my choice."

"I would strongly advise against it, but I know you have the strength to do this. If however you chose to wait, then that will mean that we will have at least fifty happy years together before you would make the decision again."

"So you're saying I should try to achieve it."

"It's your decision; I love you just the way you are. The head captain just wants you to be stronger so when we take the throne, people will take you serious. He's worried that people will not respect you the way you are right now."

"So if I wait another fifty years you wouldn't be mad at me to pass this opportunity up?"

"No, people who are faced with the choice that you are facing now always fail because they self-doubt themselves. There has been no one who has achieved bankai through the life or death challenge to this day."

"How did you achieve your bankai?"

"It just happened."

"I think I'm going to pass on the offer. I just got you and you complete my life, I'm not ready to die just yet."

He hugged her and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. He held onto her and watched the sun set over the horizon. Once the sun had set, they got up and walked back to the room. The servants were in there adding Rukia's clothes to his so she did not have to walk back and forth. The servants had showed Yoruichi to her room and left the two of them alone. Byakuya got ready to bath while Rukia told Sode no Shirayuki that she would wait until next time. When she was done talking to her, she got undressed and joined Byakuya in the tub. After they both were done bathing themselves, Rukia moved across the big tub and way lying back against Byakuya. He held onto her while he rubbed her belly, she was starting to show. Once the water got cool, he got out and helped her get out. That bath really relaxed her and she almost slipped on some water that spilled onto the floor. They both got dressed and went to bed. When they got to bed, they cuddled and he placed another kiss on her head and rubbed her back until she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

October 29

While they were eating breakfast, she noticed that she was not very hungry and just sipped on her tea. She had been feeling weak for a while now and decided that it was because she was not eating enough.

"I have a favor to ask of you Byakuya. I wish to go pay my respects to Ichigo's family and to see how Urahara is holding up. It has been over a month and I still haven't been to see them, I will leave this morning then be back by dinner time."

"You know that I don't want you leaving the soul society. I will accompany you and Yoruichi to the world of the living and wait for you at Urahara's shop. If you are not back within an hour I will come get you."

"Thank you for this opportunity."

After they finished breakfast, they got dressed and left for the world of the living. When they arrived, Urahara was still in bad shape but still welcomed them to his place. Rukia left and started walking towards Ichigo's house when the thought she had seen something out of the corner of her eye. Just as a precautionary measure, she got out of her gigai and had her hand on her sword getting ready for some kind of attack. She stared into the shadows trying to see what was there when a zanpakuto suddenly came flying out at her from the darkness of the ally in a manner that could kill her with one strike. She was holding the sword back with Sode no Shirayuki, but her own sword was starting to crack. Byakuya having sensed her spiritual pressure rising, he left using flash step to get to her. Rukia thought of wanting to stay with Byakuya and having the baby and all the things that were going good in her life and managed to release her bankai. Byakuya had shown up when this happened and watched, as he knew she could pull it off and live through this. He remembered her saying that as soon as she released her bankai she would collapse and had already had his own zanpakuto ready to step in when she fell.

The sword that attacked her was now gone and she collapsed to her knees but never hit the ground thanks to Byakuya. He put Sode no Shirayuki back in her sheath and carefully picked Rukia up. Yoruichi was standing by waiting to investigate what had happened.

"Come back to the soul society when you have news of what happened here." Byakuya said before walking away.

When Byakuya got back to the Kuchiki manor with Rukia, he called for captain Unohana to come look at Rukia to make sure that she suffered no injuries while releasing her bankai. It did not take her long to show up along with Isane and Hanataro.

"Can you tell me what happened to her?" Unohana asked.

"She was attacked and because it was a life or death situation, she found the strength to live and released her bankai. Sode no Shirayuki said that was the way for her to unlock it and she said no because she was afraid that she would not be able to do it and die. But she did it and because of the pregnancy, all her energy is being used toward the baby and she collapsed right after she achieved it."

"She has no injuries but I must ask you, has she been eating her lately? She has lost weight and if this continues her body won't be able to sustain the birthing process."

"Yes she eats, what can we do to fix this?"

"I'm putting her on bed rest, have her take these pills before each meal. These pills will make her appetite grow and she will start eating for two people, make sure that she eats enough for two people. Also soaking in hot water will help her relax; she is so tired it's making me wonder how she has been holding up all this time."

"I understand, thank you for coming to look at her on such short notice."

"Bring her by for a checkup if you notice that she is still not eating or something has changed that gets you concerned."

As soon as everyone left, he went to the closet and got into his nightwear then got Rukia's cloths then dressed her being very careful not to wake her. Once they were both dressed for bed he got into bed and wrapped an arm around her waist. Rukia turned on her side and snuggled into chest welcoming his touch. Near daybreak, she woke up with an uncomfortable pain in her abdomen. She rolled to her other side freeing her from his arms. She got up and walked outside, and felt the same sensation again. She placed both hands on her growing stomach and looked down wander what the baby was doing. She closed her eyes and noticed another pair of hands over hers. She did not have to look to know it was Byakuya; she smelled the cherry blossoms and felt his strong hands.

"Did I wake you, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, are you in pain?"

"Just a little, his kicks have gotten a lot stronger. He likes your touch, he calmed down for now."

"I'm sorry you never got to pay your respects. Do you know who attacked you?"

"Gin."

"Are you positive on that?"

"When I heard shoot to kill then a zanpakuto come flying out at me, it was Gin."

"I should've been with you, I didn't expect for them to attack with nothing happening in Hueco Mundo. I'm sorry that I got there to late."

"It couldn't be helped and besides, I activated my bankai all because of you."

"How do you mean?"

"I thought of wanting to be with you and that I wanted to protect the baby. If you were not in my life then I would have nothing to want to live for, I truly am grateful to you."

"Come; let us have breakfast and some tea. I had captain Unohana look at you and she said that you had been losing weight. She said to take a pill before each meal and it will make you hungry so you will be eating for two people. If you do not gain more weight then she said you would not survive the labor of birthing. She's putting you on bed rest until further notice; she also said soaking in hot water will help relax you because she said that your body is very tired."

"I see, well then I guess I need to make sure I eat all that I can then. I promise you that I won't die giving birth."

They went inside and she took the pill, and it was true, she ate so much that she wanted to throw up. After breakfast, Byakuya prepared the tub full of hot water for her to soak in while he worked on his paperwork for the day. He helped her into the tub the left to the other room; while she was soaking, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She placed a hand over her abdomen and was feeling the baby kick; she had noticed a lot of pain when he was kicking. She opened her eyes and saw that the water had turned red from some blood that was swirling around in the water.

"Byakuya, help….the baby" she screamed.

He came rushing in to see the bloody water and Rukia leaning over the side of the tub getting sick. He picked her up and got her dressed quickly. He carried her and flashed step to squad four where she was immediately taken back to a room. Byakuya was covered in blood from carrying Rukia and was forced to wait outside the room waiting for news. After hours of waiting Isane came out and said that he could go in.

"I'm so sorry captain Kuchiki, we did everything that we could but it was to late."

"She can't be, please tell me she's going to be ok."

"She was carrying twins, because one of the babies was much stronger than the other one, the weaker one is lost to us now. Rukia lost a lot of blood, but overtime I expect her to make a recovery. I know that Rukia did not want to the sex but both are boys. Would you like to see the one that didn't survive?"

All he could do was nod; there were no words to describe how bad he felt. Unohana walked him over to where Rukia and the baby were and left to give them some privacy. He dropped to his knees and began to weep over the lifeless body that lay in front of him. Rukia was holding onto the baby crying and looked up to see Byakuya crying as well. He held her hand and stroked the son that he would never know. After a few hours, Unohana came in and took the baby to have it buried properly. Byakuya stayed with Rukia who was still weeping. Byakuya sat down and tried to calm her down. Eventually she cried herself to sleep having nightmares again. News spread around quickly because it was not long that all the captains and lieutenants where showing up to pay their respects.


	3. Chapter 3

November 4

After days of being closely watched Rukia got to leave. She had asked Byakuya to carry her and flash step home because she did not want to see anyone, he did not either so that is what they did. Once they got home, he set her down and she walked to the pond to let the fish tickle her feet. He watched her from a distance giving her space to grieve while he grieved as well. Byakuya hated seeing her so depressed and wanted to cheer her up but did not know how. After an hour of watching her being so still, he walked over and sat down beside her. She did not acknowledge him until he started shaking her lightly. It scared him seeing her so still, not moving, blinking and barely breathing. She looked over at him to see so much concern on his face that it scared her.

"I'm so sorry Byakuya, this is my entire fault. I guess my body is only strong enough for one strong baby, not two." She had started crying again.

"It's not your fault, these things happen. I have to believe that this accident will give way to something so wonderful neither of us could even imagine. Think of the good that has come out of this, we still have a baby, and you are still alive."

"We may have one but we also lost one, anyway I have to remain strong. In months, he will be here. In addition, I have to gain weight in order to survive to see him. We still have to pick out a name and get stuff for him. But for now, I'm going to go get something to eat then to sleep if you would care to join."

Byakuya held her hand when they walked to the dining room and notice that she was weaker than she was a few days ago. He knew that this loss has taken its toll on the both of them and that from here on out things would have to be better. While they were eating, she would stop and place a hand on her abdomen and then continue to eat. She wondered how hard giving birth would be and how long it would take. Once she started getting full, she got tired and began to fall asleep at the table. Byakuya cleaned up and carefully carried her to the room where he undressed her then got her dressed to sleep. When he laid her down her hands were searching for him, and found him when he got into bed and cradled her as he did every night.


	4. Chapter 4

December 7

As Renji stood at the gates to the Kuchiki manor, he had realized how lonely it was without Ichigo around and not seeing Rukia was even a lonelier thought. He heard a noise coming up behind him and turned to see Rukia walking toward him.

"Is something wrong Rukia?"

"Byakuya has instructed that you take me to my appointment today because Yoruichi was sent out by the head captain. Byakuya has meetings back to back and can't take me himself."

"Understood, when is your appointment?"

"It was an hour ago; the new appointment is in half an hour. I fell asleep so captain Unohana told me to come in thirty minutes."

"I'll come get you when it's close to the time, but you are still on bed rest and shouldn't be moving around so much."

Rukia game him a smile then turned away. She went back to the room and soaked in some hot water while waiting for Renji. After twenty minutes of soaking, she got out and got dressed in some sweats and a t-shirt that Yoruichi brought back from the world of the living. The sweats were the only thing that fits her at the time since her baby boy was growing so big. She walked out the door and ran into Renji knocking her to the ground. He helped her up and left for squad four barracks. Neither of them said a word to each other the entire way there. When they arrived, Renji was standing back and was going to wait but Rukia had pulled him into the examination room. He leaned against the wall and watched Rukia talk to her belly while waiting for captain Unohana to arrive. When she did, Renji walked over to Rukia's side wanting to hear what was going on with the baby.

"Have you been taking the pills I gave you?"

"Before every meal, and when I feel hungry in between meals I will snack on some food."

"How have you been sleeping and how long do you think you sleep?"

"I've been sleeping really well, some nights I get hot though. And I would have to say I sleep about nine hours and I take a nap during the day if needed."

"How has the father been?"

"Byakuya is good, busy as always but he has moved his office into the room so if I need anything he's there. The baby likes him; whenever we place our hands on my stomach together he is totally calm."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room Renji since you are not the father of this child for this part of the examination."

Renji left immediately since he did not want to be in there in the first place. Back in the room, Unohana was doing a sonogram and examining Rukia's breast to see how her body was handling the pregnancy. After fifteen minutes, Byakuya showed up and entered the room. He held Rukia's hand and waited to hear the result of the checkup.

"You made it just in time captain Kuchiki, I was about to tell Rukia the news from today's checkup."

"Did something happen to him?" Rukia asked.

"Your due date is still sometime in February. Your little boy is growing so quickly that you might begin to feel a lot of discomfort. I am going to keep you bed rest because of this. Your weight has stabilized but I want you to continue the use of the pills until the baby is born. Continue to relax in hot water. However, when you get hot at night I would advise that you wear as little as possible. If you are getting to warm wearing what you do to bed then the baby is also getting to warm, to prevent both you and the baby suffering from any dehydration complications I also recommend that you keep some water by your bed and wake up to drink some throughout the night."

Rukia looked up to smile at Byakuya who looked deep in thought. Unohana left and Renji came barging in seeing Rukia in all her naked glory. Byakuya did not like that and dragged him out the door. As soon as Rukia got dressed, she went to go see what was wrong and overheard the conversation.

"I don't think it would be wise to tell Rukia this information." Renji was trying to keep his voice down.

"I will decide what is good for her, not you. Is that understood Renji." Byakuya said in a harsh tone.

Renji bowed in respect to his commanding officer and took his leave. Rukia opened the door and ran into Byakuya. He looked at her and gave her a gentle smile. She started walking back to the manor and had a sharp pain in her abdomen that made her gasp. She went down and took a knee trying to keep her balanced. Byakuya was not behind her like he usually was; in fact, he was nowhere in sight. The pain got worse to the point of her collapsing on the ground holding her over grown stomach. Yachiru was passing by looking for Kenpachi and found her by the wall with tears running down her face. Kenpachi found Yachiru trying to move Rukia but with no luck.

"Yachiru, what do you think you're doing to her?"

"She's in a lot of pain and I'm trying to get her back home, can you help me. But remember she expecting so we have to be super careful." She said in a chirpy voice that made him smile.

He picked the small girl up and carried her back to the Kuchiki manor. The guard at the gate noticed that Byakuya was nowhere around and that Rukia was crying. He let them through and sent a hell butterfly to squad four and to Byakuya telling what he had just seen. Rukia was in so much pain that she gripped onto Kenpachi's kimono screaming in pain. Kenpachi followed Rukia's spiritual pressure that was left behind to her and Byakuya's room where he laid her on the bed and sat beside her. He didn't mind staying there watching over her because it made Yachiru happy to help, what he didn't like so much was that he was the one she was gripped on to. It took a matter of minutes before Unohana and Isane came rushing into the room and moved Rukia to the floor so they had more room to work because she was not letting go of Kenpachi anytime soon.

"How much strength does this damn girl have left in her?" Kenpachi said now getting really irritated.

"Rukia, if you can answer me, I need you to tell me what's wrong."

"The pain, stop the pain…it hurts so badly." She screamed.

They began to check her out only to find that the baby was had small white fleck floating around him.

"Unohana, this isn't what I think it is, is it?" Isane asked.

"We have to stop this now, concentrate on sealing the power." Unohana replied with a calm voice.

"What's wrong with her? Her grip on me has gotten tighter." Kenpachi complained.

"Yachiru, I need you to go find Byakuya and hurry. Get him here as quick as you can." Unohana said.

Rukia continued to scream as they worked. It took Yachiru an hour to find Byakuya deep inside a mountain investigating something.

"Your needed in your room, Kenny wants to leave but Rukia is in so much pain she won't let him go." Yachiru explained.

She followed him back to his room where he saw Rukia screaming and holding on to Kenpachi with a death grip.

"Well it's about damn time; do you want to take my spot?" Kenpachi asked.

Byakuya sat down beside Kenpachi and put his hands on Rukia's. She instantly released Kenpachi and went straight for Byakuya still screaming. He was surprised to see how tightly she was holding him but just sat there and took it. Unohana and Isane were starting to sweat being in this position for so long trying to contain the baby's power. It took the two of them five hours to seal the baby's power.

"Isane, let us now focus on healing the damage that was done. I want you to stay here in the spare bedroom in case the seal is broken."

"What happened to her?" Byakuya asked with a tone that was concerning.

"Your boy has grown to strong and was releasing its power inside, little white knives where floating around him cutting Rukia up from the inside out, we have sealed his power. Yachiru found her on the ground and asked Kenpachi to bring her here. When he picked her up, the pain got worse and that is when she gripped on to him. He said he sent a hell butterfly to you but I am guessing that it never made it to you. We are going to heal her now and that will ease the pain so just bear with it a little longer." Unohana said.

Byakuya's face was horrified that the baby was this strong and that he would hurt Rukia even while inside her. There were no words to express the pain he felt for not having been there to help her.

"Thank you Captain Zaraki and lieutenant for getting her back home safely. I'm sorry I was not here, I hope I didn't inconvenience you at all." Byakuya said apologetically.

"She's going to be ok, right." Yachiru asked.

"Yes, Rukia's going to be fine now that we have sealed the power." Isane said.

Kenpachi got up, Yachiru hopped on his back, and they left. Rukia let go of Byakuya but he continued to hold her hand in show of support that he was not going to leave and that he was sorry for not being there. Rukia was no longer in pain and started to fall asleep trying to curl up to Byakuya but Unohana would not let her. Rukia tried to talk but no words came out, so Isane moved to look at her throat.

"Rukia, you lost your voice due to screaming so much. This will take time to heal on its own; if you need anything, do not talk, just write it down and show it to whoever is around at that time. Do you understand?" Isane asked.

Rukia nodded and turned to look at Byakuya with apologetic eyes. He seemed to notice because he smiled at her and was rubbing the top of her hand. Byakuya watched them as they continued to work on her for another hour, moved her back to the bed and left. He crawled into bed with her, stared deeply into her violet eyes, and rubbed her belly. She stared back and before she knew it, the touch of his hands and his warm breath on her skin had put her to sleep. In the middle of the night, she started to get hot and woke up. She tried to set up but was to sore still to move, so she turned her head only see that Byakuya was not in bed. She heard the door open and saw him coming in with a glass of water and sat it down beside her.

"There is a pen and paper if you wish to say something, but I ask you this. Why are you awake?"

She started to write and thought about what to say. When she finished, she turned the notepad around and showed him. As he looked at what she had to say, she turned the pad back around to write something else. The page read, "I'm getting hot, can you help me undress please. I can hardly move because I am still sore. Thanks for the water" With a smiley face at the bottom of the page.

Byakuya walked over and helped her undress, threw her clothes to the floor and limbed back in bed. He watched her as she started to write again wondering why she could not get to sleep. She turned the paper around and he read to himself, "What are you not telling me? I heard you and Renji talking, and where were you this afternoon?" He hesitated before answering, wondering how to tell her and even if he should tell her.

"Yoruichi disappeared the other day without a trace and was found dead deep inside the mountain. I was one of the captains that was sent out to investigate the scene, I am sorry I did not tell you. You have lost so much and I did not want you getting upset. But my investigation is done so I shouldn't be leaving anytime soon."

He watched her as she tried to write something but started crying instead. He went into to hug her and tell her that everything was fine but she pulled away from him. He knew that she grew close to Yoruichi with all the time in the world of the living and over here, but he never imagined that he would have to tell her that she lost another friend. She struggled so hard to try to get up out of bed that her body could not tolerate the strain and collapsed on the floor. She tried so hard to move and could not so she just stayed on the floor weeping over yet another lost friend. Byakuya watched her and tried to help her get back in bed, but every time she pushed his hands away. Angered by this, Byakuya forced himself to pick her up. Once she had finally given up the fight, she watched as he carried her to the pond and sat her down. He had no idea why whenever she was upset she stuck her feet in the pond with the fish, but he knew that it made her feel better. He sat beside her watching her lie back, looking up at the sky. She had shut her eyes for a second then opened them to hear Byakuya say the command that she had been waiting for, "scatter Senbonzakura."

She knew that Gin was the one that attacked her in the world of the living. She knew that he was here in the soul society to make sure that he left with her this time. She managed to set herself up, and watch to see where Byakuya was aiming. She saw something coming her way and to her surprise, it was Renji flying past her. He quickly got up and activated his bankai. Byakuya picked Rukia up and went back to the room with the thousands of tiny pink blades following close by acting as a shield. He set her down on the bed and stayed in the room with her waiting to see if the enemy would break through the defense line. As Rukia sat on the bed, she noticed all the other captains spiritual pressures rising preparing for battle. All this fighting for me, is this necessary? Suddenly, she felt nothing and Byakuya had call Senbonzakura back to him. She picked up the paper and wrote down so fast that it was hard to read "Is it over?"

"We were expecting them to attack very soon; head captain had everyone in place nearby for when they did attack, I could protect you. Yes, it is over. The smell you are about to smell is their corpses burning. We don't want to take a chance of them returning so this is a simple solution." He said not meeting her eyes.

When he started to smell them burning he turned to finally meet her eyes, but found them shut. She held out her hand as if calling him to bed, he accepted. He watched her fall asleep with a smile on her face knowing that all the death can stop now. After a couple hours of watching her sleep peacefully, he went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

February 14

She woke up to the sun beating down on her face; she opened her eyes to see Byakuya still asleep. She carefully got out of bed and got dressed as quietly as she could. She knew that she was due any day now and wanted to make today special since it was Valentine's Day. She walked into town, got some roses, and rose petals to make the day more special. She had been planning this day out for few months now and was going to set it into motion. As she was walking back home she stopped to see if Renji could take Byakuya out for a few drinks to congratulate him on being a dad here soon. He of course said he would because Byakuya came to him the other day and asked if they could go out so he could get Rukia something. Both of them had been planning for this day and Renji was stuck in the middle of it all. When she got back home, she walked quietly to her old room and put the roses on the bed with the rose petals on the floor. Her room is where it all began and that is where she wanted to be when they had sex later in the day. Rukia walked to the dining area and saw Byakuya sitting there sipping on his tea.

"Good morning Byakuya. Would you like me to get you more tea?"

"Where did you go so early this morning?"

"Rangiku has been beside me ever since I was told by the elders that I had to mate with you. She was there when I told you that I loved you and she wants to know if my condition has changed at all. She wanted to see me this morning before she started her work, so got early to go see her."

"Well, just make sure you get some rest. You need to be thinking of the baby, he could be here any day now."

She nodded and heard a knock on the door. Renji was standing there asking to come in. She let him in and sat back down. Renji sat down next to Rukia on the floor and was looking around the room trying to figure out what he was supposed to say without giving either one of them hints to what the other one is planning.

"Are you ready to train today Renji?"

"Yes sir."

The two of them got up and left leaving Rukia by herself. As soon as they left, she walked to the bathroom, took a bath, and got herself ready to make Byakuya speechless. While she was getting ready, the thought to herself that the baby had better stay in there until tomorrow at the very least. She laughed at the thought and knew that she had to hurry because Renji could not keep Byakuya out all day. She went back to her room to get some rose petals. She placed the petals leading from the gate to the room so that he knew to follow the trail. She lay on the bed waiting for them to return.

Across the soul society, Byakuya was getting roses for Rukia and got her a new sexy looking kimono. Renji had given Rukia all the time he could and could not stall Byakuya any longer. As they started to walk back, Renji noticed that he was hurrying to get back to see Rukia and give her her gifts. Renji left as soon as they got to the Kuchiki manor so that he could be with Rukia. When he walked inside the gate, he noticed the rose petals and followed them to her old room. He opened the door to find Rukia missing from the room, but walked in and smiled when he felt her arms going around his waist. He turned to face her and slipped on one of the rose petals causing him to fall. Rukia fell with him and landed on top smiling down at him.

"I see we both had plans for today, and both had roses." He said softly against her skin.

"Yes, but my rose petals were used differently than yours, for instance, the trail and you falling."

He gave a gentle laugh and continued to place soft kisses along her neck trailing down to her chest. Both of them had started undressing each other sparing no time to get involved. Rukia raised Byakuya's head to kiss him by stopped herself when his face was even with hers.

"Stop." She said softly.

"What's wrong?"

"The baby, he's ready. I have been contracting all day and they are close now. Are you ready to be a dad?"

"Can he not wait until we have finished?" Byakuya said helping Rukia up with sarcasm in his voice.

"I will call for Unohana, just don't leave my side since we can't finish." She said holding her stomach.

While they waited for Unohana to arrive, the contractions got worse. She lay on the bed holding Byakuya's hand trying to breathe through the pain. Byakuya was sorry for the pain that she had to endure but knew that she was happy she was going through this. Rukia's pain had got so bad that she felt like she had to push. Byakuya had told her to try to wait but he knew that she could not. She had started pushing and the baby was born soon after. When Unohana had arrived, they were holding the baby and looked around the room to see what had led to the events. She made sure the baby was in good health and made sure that Rukia was going to be fine and left.

"I know we talked about names so go ahead and name your son." Rukia said.

"I like the one you came up with, the one that involved your two lost friends now."

At that moment, she knew what he was talking about.

"Ichi." She said stroking the baby's head.

"Both of them will be well missed Rukia. However, given how strong this baby is, I think he will make Ichigo and Yoruichi proud." He said hold Rukia's head in his lap looking down at her holding Ichi.


End file.
